Clothes hanger support for automobiles



Feb. 24, 1953 w. D. VEALEY CLOTHES HANGER SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. 21, 1951 Attorney Patented Feb. 24, 1953 CLOTHES HANGER SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES William D. Vealey, Ephrata, Wash. Application December 21, 1951, Serial No. 262,715

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a novel detachable support adapted to be detachably mounted across the interior of the rear part of an automobile by means of which a plurality of garment hangers may be supported and in turn support a plurality of garments in the rear part of the automobile.

Among the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a garment hanger support capable of being detachably secured without fastenings to the outer surface of the sides of a vehicle above and adjacent door openings thereof and wherein end portions of the support due to their unique shape are retained efiectively in an applied position extending through the door openings, whether the vehicle doors are in opened or closed positions, and which will not interfere With opening or closing of the doors.

Another object is to provide a garment hanger support which may be adjustably positioned relatively to the motor vehicle to utilize the foot well of the rear compartment for the hanging of long garments.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger support wherein the garment hangers will be prevented from sliding along the support due to vehicle sway when rounding corcorners will be maintained in preselected positions so that garments supported thereby will not interfere with the drivers vision through the rear window of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger support of extremely simple construction which may be quickly and easily installed or removed, which will not damage or otherwise impair any part of the vehicle, and which may be adjusted to accommodate vehicles of different widths.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the upper portion of a motor vehicle showing the garment hanger support in an applied position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of one end of the support, as shown partly in elevation, and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of one element of the support.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the garment hanger support in its entirety is designated generally 5 and includes a chain 6 having a hook I connected to one end thereof and an eye bolt 8 connected to its opposite end and which forms a part of a turnbuckle, designated generally 9, which additionally includes a loop I ll and a hook ll having a threaded shank. The bolt 8 and the threaded shank of the hook H threadedly engage the opposite ends of the loop I!) and are threaded in opposite directions, in a conventional manner, so that when. the loop It is turned in one direction the bolt 8 and hook shank will be drawn inwardly of the ends of the loop l0 and when said loop is turned in the opposite direction, will be displaced outwardly of the ends of the loop.

The holder 5 also includes a pair of corresponding vehicle body engaging members, designated generally l2 and i3 and which being identical in construction, only one of which will be described. Each vehicle body engaging member is formed of a strip of metal M of sufficient width and thickness to give it the rigidity required to accomplish its supporting function, as will hereinafter be apparent. Each strip I4 has an elongated substantially flat portion if: from one end of which extends an upstanding terminal portion 16 which ordinarily is disposed at substantially a right angle to the portion Hi. The strip [4 also includes a downwardly extending substantially U-shaped portion ll one leg of which merges with the opposite end of the portion !5 and the other leg of which is provided with an angular extension forming the other terminal l8 of the strip l4 and which is provided with an opening l9. As seen in Figure 2, the last mentioned leg of the U-shaped portion ll extends to above the level of the first mentioned leg thereof so that the terminal portion [8 is disposed above the level of the last mentioned end of the portion l5. Furthermore, the terminal portion I8 is disposed at a slight angle to the portion l5 and at an acute angle to the first mentioned terminal portion H5. The inner side of the first mentioned terminal portion I6 is lined with a strip of cushioning material 20 such as rubber, which may be suitably bonded thereto. The outer side of the first mentioned leg of the U-shaped member H is likewise covered with a strip of cushioning material 2|, which may be formed of rubber or any other suitable material.

As illustrated in Figure l, the roof portion 22 of a motor vehicle has been illustrated and also portions of the rear door heads 23. On most late model automobiles, as illustrated in Figure 1, the door heads actually merge into portions of the side edges of the outer surface of the roof so that the side portions of the roof extend upwardly and are inwardly inclined from the outer edges of the door heads and the door heads are inclined transversely downwardly and inwardly from their outer edges toward their inner edges. The outer surface of the roof 22 is shown provided with the usual drain gutters 24 which are spaced some distance above the door heads 23.

To apply the garment hanger support 5, the holder I2 is positioned, against one door head 23 and the holder I3 is positioned against the other door head, each of said holders I2 and I3 being disposed with its portion I5 abutting the door head and extending transversely thereof and with its portion I6 extending upwardly from the outer edge of the door head and terminating below and. adjacent the gutter 24, if the roof 22 is provided with a gutter. The downwardly offset U-shaped portion I! of each holder is provided to accommodate therein the weather stripping 25 of the door head 23 without distortion of the weather stripping. With the members I2 and I3 positioned as illustrated in Figure 1, the doors 26, only a portion of one of which has been illustrated, may be moved to closed positions to retain the members I2 and I3 in their applied positions of Figure 1. It will be noted that the members I2 and I3 will not interfere with the closing of the doors. This is accomplished while the operator is within the vehicle and the hook I of the chain 6 is then engaged with the opening I9 of one of the members I2 or I3 and the hook II is then engaged with the opening I9 of the other member I2 or I3. The loop ID of the turnbuckle 9 is then turned in a direction for reducing the length of the turnbuckle to tension the chain 6. It will be noted that the terminal portions I8 are disposed substantially in the same plane and when the chain 6 is tensioned by tightening the turnbuckle 9, the said parts will exert a pull on the members I2 and I3 to cause the portions I6 with the cushioning linings 20 to bear tightly against the sides of the roof of the vehicle above the outer edges of the door heads 23 and as said portions I6 are inclined upwardly and inwardly and as the pull is exerted thereon through the portions I8 at acute. angles to the planes of the terminal portions I6, the greater the pull the tighter the portions I6 will be held in frictional engagement against the outer surface of the vehicle or roof above the door heads 23. Consequently, the doors 26 may then be opened and the clothes hanger support 5 will maintain its position of Figure 1. Any number of garments may be supported thereby on clothes hangers, not shown, the hooks of Which engage the chain 6 and the greater the weight on the chain 6, the more said chain will be tensioned to increase the efiective engagement of the portions I6 with the roof or body surface, so that the weight of hangers and garments will not dislodge the members I2 and I3 from their applied positions and consequently the vehicle doors do not have to be closed to maintain the support 5 in its position of Figure 1 and with garments and garment hangers supported thereby. It will also be apparent that the hooks of. the garment hangers, not shown,

will be held against sliding movement along the chain 6 by the links thereof and if desired may be engaged through the links, so that the garment hangers and garments supported thereby will not slide longitudinally of the support 5 due to vehicle sway and will be maintained in preselected positions which will not interfere with the drivers vision through the rear window, not shown of the vehicle. Obviously, the chain 6 may be made in different lengths to accommodate vehicles of different widths where an adequate adjustment is not afforded by the turnbuckle 9. When the doors are closed, the trim of the doors will be protected against mars by the cushioning strips 2I in the same manner as the outer surface of the vehicle is protected against being marred by the strip 20.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A garment hanger support for automobiles comprising a pair of holder members each including a rigid strap having an intermediate portion adapted to engage against a door head of an automobile, each holder member having an upwardly extending outer end portion adapted to bear against the outer side of the vehicle above the door head and an inner end portion extending inwardly of the vehicle from the door head, said inner end portion being disposed above and at a slight angle to the intermediate portion and in substantially a horizontal plane, said outer end portion being disposed at an acute angle to the inner end portion and being inclined upwardly and inwardly with respect to the intermediate portion, said intermediate portion including a downwardly extending U-shaped portion having one leg merging with the inner end portion of the holder member and adapted to accommodate a weather stripping of the door head between the legs of said U-shaped portion, said inner end portions of the holder members being apertured, and a taut flexible member comprising a chain, turnbuckle and hooks extending between and secured at its ends to the apertured inner end portions for maintaining the outer end portions of the holder members in upwardly converging positions relatively to one another to prevent disengagement thereof from the outer surface of the vehicle.

WILLIAM D. VEALEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,301,886 Tocknell Apr. 29, 1919 1,959,974 Westgate May 22, 1934 2,483,781 Perryman Oct. 4, 1949 2,524,743 Wright Oct. 3, 1950 2,528,729 Seidler Nov. '7, 1950 

